Lesser of Two Evils
by Floating Red Lotus
Summary: Things go awry when Zoom's rivals take advantage of his weakened state. Caitlin is forced to work with the enemy to survive – an enemy who is inexplicably protective of her. AU. Set some time after S2E09 and before S2E10. Major spoilers for Season 2.


**A/N:** Apologies to those waiting for updates from my other fics. Life happened as always (and I fail at Life T_T). It might take a while, but when it does, you can expect updates around 10,000+ words each for 'The Sun Will Rise…' and 'In Another Lifetime.' To tide you over, I'm uploading this chapter fic. It's a challenge my friend gave me to cheer me up (prize: sushi *fist pumps*). Prompt being – Redeemed!Hunter/Zoom, and to show the three sides/dynamics of this pairing: "SnowJay," Caitlin/Zoom, and SnowHunter. She was really adamant on the literal Caitlin/Zoom part before revelation of "Jay's" identity since this isn't a side explored often (or at all?). Anyway, I figured it would be an interesting take since we've only ever seen Caitlin appeal to mostly "Jay's" or sometimes Hunter's sense of humanity, but never Zoom's (if we remember it correctly).

 _Important/Context:_ While I'm following the show's canon/time-line up to a certain point, I'm incorporating some stuff (plus taking several creative liberties) from the comic!verse and cartoons to make this AU work. Details are listed in ending A/N since I don't want this to be _too_ long. Any questions you have will be answered at the bottom. Just know for now Reverb with comic!verse-inspired powers is on Zoom's level. Also, Zoom's illness is more serious, forcing him to retrieve his time remnant to pose as "Jay" earlier than canon!Hunter did – this happens shortly after Episode 9 instead of Episode 13. And Earth-2 denizens can't be rendered unconscious by bombarding them with a certain frequency like in the show.

 _Warnings_ – This scenario has the potential to become really dark, but I'm keeping the show's rating and tone in mind, so we have hypocritical villains with 'standards.' Zoom starts out as his usual manipulative, homicidal asshole self. Violence won't be explicit. Implied (consensual) sexual content in the _very_ far future.

Blanket Disclaimer: I don't own The Flash, referenced lyrics, etc. Fake science ahead. Please note that certain beliefs the characters have do not reflect my own.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 _"You don't understand – Zoom is different from us. Zoom is not tied to anything. Zoom does not care for anyone. …We all have people that we care about. Zoom will use that against us."_

– Earth-2 Harrison Wells; S2E18

...

 _All the love I have taken_  
 _All the hearts I've turned to hate_  
 _Hearts are easily broken when you've been made in the shade_  
 _Crossed every line, broken every boundary_  
 _And now it's retribution time 'cause the church that I went to_  
 _It ain't that holy_

– _Judgement Day,_ Stealth

* * *

...

It was still hard to believe Zoom's true weakness came in the form of this powerless, unremarkable civilian.

Reverb examined the doppelganger of Killer Frost, his index finger tapping thoughtfully against his bottom lip. He had to give her credit for being brave, though. After deciding to give her a little teaser for what was to come, he passed a modified remote to his subordinates to do as they pleased with their former leader and dismissed them. Though the doors were closed, the sound of jeers and agonized screams permeated through the thick material. All the blood drained from her face – which was saying something, as she had turned deathly pale the moment she regained consciousness and realized what happened. He thought she would have panicked or even start to hyperventilate. But the only signs of distress was the slight tremor in her fists and the way her jaw shifted, as if she were biting the inside of her mouth. She never looked away from his eyes the entire time.

Caitlin Snow was holding up well on the outside, all things considered. Watching her beloved _Jay Garrick_ be killed by her Earth-2 counterpart was surely traumatizing.

Reverb wondered how she would react if she discovered the truth.

And there laid his current quandary. To kill Zoom, to humiliate him, or to prolong his suffering? Each choice was appealing in its own way. He'd been playing it safe to keep his options open for as long as he could. His subordinates were kept ignorant of the speedster's real identity and prohibited from unmasking him. And during the battle with Zoom, he managed to send a blast that severed the speedster's connection to the speed-force – including the one-way mental link to his time remnant on Earth-1. Whatever "Jay" had experienced was completely locked away from present-day Zoom. Maintaining this mental block was easy enough and necessary, since the inhibitor collar could not obstruct this link. It had little to do with the meta-gene's influence and more about time-lines and paradoxes – an area Reverb's powers dabbled in. However, the speed-force itself couldn't be permanently contained by his abilities, and so he relied on the inhibitor collar to effectively suppress Zoom's meta-gene. The only thing the speedster could do was alter his eyes and voice, and that was because Reverb had adjusted the collar's settings.

He'd brought in the woman to emotionally cripple Zoom just before his execution. But all this effort and work he put in just for this one moment seemed very…wasteful. Simply killing Zoom and the good doctor was beginning to look like a squandered opportunity. It may be the more logical choice – getting rid of a neutralized but still formidable threat as soon as he could – but he had spent two years under Zoom's foot. He needed to grind the man's colossal pride into dust, painful bit by bit. It was the only thing that would satisfy Reverb's seething resentment.

Making him suffer would be sweet justice and karma. Zoom had managed to keep a tight rein on his subordinates by coercing them with the lives of their loved ones. Now that the scales were tipped in Reverb's favor and his family's safety was assured, it was hard _not_ to serve Zoom the same brand of punishment he was so fond of. Bringing Caitlin before him and telling her of his true origins, right before shattering her nervous system, was a wonderful way to crush Zoom's heart. He would let the speedster live as long as his illness allowed, his pain worsening as his body destroyed itself cell by cell. Alongside his physical agony, he'd be haunted by the woman's rejection and death to the end. The other metas would be pleased to see this. It would further secure their loyalties.

But Zoom was more monster than man. This would break him – but not in the way Reverb wanted. He would become even more uncontrollable than he was now, and that was with an inhibitor collar blocking his powers. The speedster nearly killed a guard who'd grown too lax. It was foolish to believe he was completely incapacitated in this state.

Caitlin would be kept alive, Reverb decided. She was Zoom's only bond and thus the only way to ensure his good behavior. Her presence would imbalance him, and his range of action would be diminished with this distraction. Reverb would also leave her ignorant of the speedster's identity. It would be fun to see Zoom tiptoe around this matter. How would he handle it? Probably with more excuses and lies – Zoom was stubborn enough to cling to his plans, despite the situation. The man would keep the truth from her as long as he could. A slow grin stretched across Reverb's face. This option was beginning to grow more and more appealing.

Seeing the great, formidable Zoom clumsily tread around his beloved, who had nothing but enmity and fear for his murderous alter-ego…this would be an entertaining spectacle. Lots of emotional pain on both sides, especially for the speedster. He was dying, and once he was dead, Caitlin's well-being would be put into question. Reverb wondered if it came to that, would Zoom kill her himself to spare her a wretched end? A very interesting question. He was curious to see how this would play out. It was like some macabre version of Romeo and Juliet – except the former was insane and bloodthirsty, and the latter was in love with a man that never existed.

Mind made up, Reverb unlatched the extra inhibitor collar from his belt. Caitlin's eyes homed in on the object, the furrow in her brow growing deeper.

"I'm guessing from your confused look, you don't have this on your Earth. It's an inhibitor collar – a modified one, actually. Iron Heights uses this to suppress a metahuman's powers. My brother added some adjustments. The first is an electric shock function." Another pained howl ripped through the air, longer than the ones before. Laughter and taunts consumed the tortured voice. "Your new friend is currently being subjected to the maximum milliamp. Probably fatal to the average human, I'm not sure. Definitely painful though," Reverb continued nonchalantly, twirling the collar in his hands. "Which brings me to the next point. In the event you or your cell-mate tries something stupid, if you attempt to tamper with this collar in any way, I will personally end you. Depending on my mood, the collar will either detonate or release a poison into your system. The second choice is a very ugly, excruciating death. I might be partial to this one."

Aside from the bobbing movement of her throat, Caitlin maintained her calm façade. "You're not giving the remote to the guards?" she asked.

"They're trigger-happy. Lucky for the both of you, I'm nice enough to take out the dead switch from their remotes." He stepped closer to her and tugged down the high collar of her sweater. Caitlin's muscles tensed, but she made no movement to resist. The shackles around her wrists and feet would have cut that attempt down quickly. An audible _click_ sounded out when Reverb snapped the metal band around her neck. His fingers slid up, resting over the side of her windpipe. "Don't take advantage of this _kindness_. You're aware of my doppelganger's powers? Know that I have full control over mine and can monitor you at any moment, regardless of the distance or worlds between us. I'll always be watching."

The pulse underneath his fingers quickened. He could tell she was struggling to keep her breaths steady even as her steely countenance persisted.

"You're not going to win. The Flash will stop you."

Reverb pulled the sweater's collar over the band and withdrew, giving her an indulgent smile. "I'm assuming you're talking about your Flash, since Garrick is dead." The woman's cold expression cracked for a split second at the mention of her love. "Speedsters aren't infallible, Snow. And if the fastest of them all – _Zoom_ – fell prey to his own hubris, then Allen stands no chance. You'll be staying here as long as I need you."

"Whatever you want, I'm _never_ going to help you."

Reverb's smile grew wider. "It's not your _help_ I need. It's _you_."

He spun on his heel and quickly strode to the door, pushing it open wide enough for him to stick his head out. Rupture was leaning against the wall nearby, absentmindedly cleaning the blade of his scythe as he oversaw the proceedings some distance ahead. Although his expression was hidden by his mask, Reverb could tell he was bored. He cleared his throat, catching his older brother's attention.

" _We're ready to bring her out yet?_ " Rupture asked in Spanish, aware that the metas with enhanced hearing could overhear them. " _Watching them shock him is getting old real quick. I'm_ this _close to putting the bastard out of his misery myself._ "

" _Change of plans. We're giving her to Zoom. I'm not telling her about his real identity._ "

" _Playing with your food?_ " He made a tsk-ing noise. " _Grandma taught you better._ "

" _It wouldn't be the first time she's disappointed in me, and it certainly won't be the last._ "

" _Ah, for shame, Franny,_ " Rupture answered in a mockingly, scolding voice. " _I guess you want me to modify the remote for her collar? These idiots might accidentally kill her before the day is over._ "

" _Sometimes I wonder if you're secretly a mind-reader._ "

" _I wouldn't be a good brother if I didn't get on your wavelength every now and then. The shock function?_ "

" _Lock it on the lowest level, put it on a set number of times per week._ "

" _You really_ are _playing with your food. Why the leniency? Saving her for some grand finale?"_

" _Something like that._ " A snarl ripped the air, followed by scuffling noises. There were curses and yells as the speedster suddenly lunged and grabbed the remote, crushing it. Despite his state, he got multiple hits in and nearly clawed the face off of another meta. Reverb sighed loudly, taking out the master remote and pressing a button. The shock sent Zoom tumbling to the floor. The metas immediately converged on him like a pack of hungry wolves. " _Pull them back in line. I don't want him choking on his own blood before he even sees her._ "

" _You can always completely unblock his healing factor,_ " Rupture pointed out, lazily spinning his scythe before setting it on the ground.

Reverb smirked. " _Now, where's the fun in that?_ "

He took a step back into the room, but kept his hand on the door, observing the scene through the gap. His subordinates quickly fell quiet when Rupture bellowed an order. The crowd withdrew, revealing Zoom's still form. At Rupture's command, Girder and Heat Wave pulled the speedster up, keeping a tight grip on his arms. The man could hardly stand, hanging between the two metas like a limp rag doll. Blood dripped from his mouth-slits and onto the floor.

Rupture placed the blunt side of the blade underneath Zoom's chin and lifted his head up.

"Giving up already? We're just getting started."

A whole minute passed. Not a single reaction from Zoom. If it weren't for the slight movement of his chest, Reverb would have thought him dead.

Suddenly, the man's shoulders started to shake. The slits on his mask elongated. Wheezing chuckles turned into mad laughter. It was like the sound of boulders crashing down the mountainside. The terrible, inhuman noise made Reverb grit his teeth and sent most of the metas scrambling back, instinctively raising their weapons. Everyone who worked under Zoom was familiar with this wild display of glee – people tended to die or either be dead whenever it happened. The blade turned a glowing red as Rupture powered it on. A warning gesture.

Zoom lurched forward, those mouth-slits still stretched wide. The dull side of the blade must have been digging painfully into his neck at this point, but the speedster pressed forward as far as his restrainers allowed. The heat emanating from the weapon didn't deter him at all. White wisps of smoke curled from the area where it touched his mask, but the durable material held.

"You think you can break me?" The speedster's harsh voice resounded unpleasantly in Reverb's bones. "You think I'll beg for mercy? I have spent my whole life in agony. _This is nothing._ " He broke out into another fit of laughter. "You'll regret not killing me. No bond can hold me forever. All of you and your loved ones will pay. **_In blood_**."

His promise echoed loudly in the ensuing silence. The metas shifted uneasily. Even with his debilitating illness and the inhibitor collar on, Zoom's influence through fear was not something that could be easily shaken off. For two years, the speedster had been an unstoppable force. Beaten, bleeding, and only allowed enough speed-force to survive the shocks – it did little to banish the image of the nightmare that had stalked the streets for so long.

"No bond?" Rupture repeated. "I find that hard to believe."

Zoom spat on the scythe. The mix of blood and saliva sizzled, evaporating before it could drip off the edges.

" _Then you're a fool._ "

Reverb finally dropped his hand and turned towards Caitlin. The woman stared at him wide-eyed.

"Zoom? Y-you said you killed him."

"I don't recall _exactly_ saying that." He sauntered over to her. "It's certainly a tempting idea, though. He's a horrible man, isn't he? I'd be doing the multiverse a favor if I got rid of him."

"Why didn't you?!"

For the first time in his company, Caitlin was openly terrified. How annoying. Reverb had the ability to kill her with a twitch of a finger – whether by a vibrational blast or the inhibitor collar, and it was a _powerless_ Zoom that broke her ironclad composure? He needed to up his game.

But then again, Reverb admitted grudgingly, it wasn't as if the speedster didn't live up to his notorious reputation. He did that and _more_.

"What's this? You're advocating an execution without a trial?" he drawled. "How awfully unrighteous of you. I thought the Flash and his friends were on the side of angels."

"You don't understand." Desperation tinged her features. "We're _all_ in danger. It's going to be a massacre. There's no one fast enough to stop him, much less put him on trial. I don't know how you took him down, but he's not going to stay like that. My team tried speed-dampening darts, and he recovered almost immediately."

He knew exactly what she was talking about. The fight – or beat down, was the more accurate term – was one of the many things he had seen in his visions when he was monitoring Zoom. The speedster's senses were keen, and had Reverb's skills been on par with his doppelganger's, he would have surely felt the intrusion. Luckily that never happened, and Zoom didn't suspect a thing. Even now, he was unaware Reverb had been watching his machinations on Earth-1 all this time.

Zoom was going nowhere. The inhibitor collar was specifically keyed to his abilities and could deactivate or reactivate, so to speak, any one of his powers – even to a certain degree. It was more advanced than the helmet Zoom had locked Earth-3's Flash in, and that unfortunate soul had yet to escape his own prison. But the strongest bond that would chain Zoom down…

Was this woman's life.

"Speedsters aren't infallible," he repeated. "You'll learn soon enough. The both of you are sharing a cell, remember?" The expression on her face was hilarious. He almost wished he had a camera. "Don't worry." Reverb lowered his glasses and winked at her. "His bark is worse than his bite. He'll take better care of you than any of us."

Which was the truth. The pathetic remnant of humanity Zoom had left would probably – no, _definitely_ – compel him to protect her. Reverb had seen this uncharacteristic behavior exhibited too many times to be a fluke. But of course, since Caitlin only knew Zoom as the monster who possibly tortured Harrison's daughter, nearly killed "Jay" and Barry, and most certainly did murder dozens of innocents, her reaction was absolute horror. He could see all the worst case scenarios unfolding behind her frightened eyes.

On second thought, she'd be even _more_ sickened if she knew who Zoom really was. Maybe he should just tell her now. Nah, that would cut the fun too short. Best to draw it out and let it reach its apex.

"Please," she whispered brokenly. "Please don't do this."

He grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her up to her feet. "Trust me, Snow – I'm actually being merciful right now. There are some metas out there who would love to have fun with you." Reverb pushed her out the door, keeping a hand on her back and the other around the chains connecting to her shackled wrists. "Time to meet your new friend," he murmured into her ear.

Caitlin didn't say anything. Her hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Tremors wracked her body, as if the temperature in the room had plunged to icy levels. But despite her obvious fear, she kept her head raised. Her eyes flickered around the area, undoubtedly memorizing the details as much as she could for an escape plan. Reverb couldn't help but chuckle. Even her impending fate wasn't enough to distract her. It was a fruitless endeavor though.

This was Zoom's formerly secret holding cells, separate from the area he kept the real Jay Garrick and Jesse. It could contain speedsters and any high-level meta. A regular human had no hope of escaping this place.

He called for his brother. Rupture immediately withdrew from his position, accepting the chains when Reverb passed it on to him. "Wait for my signal," he told him.

A low growl rumbled in Zoom's chest when Reverb came into his view. "The coward finally shows his face after throwing his lackeys at me like fodder. What have you promised these men and women to make them follow you to the end?" There was a cruel grin in his voice. "Nine metas died for you to land that hit – the best among your ranks. Most would call this a Pyrrhic victory."

"They knew what they were getting into. And it's hardly Pyrrhic. All your subordinates are now mine, your trusted lieutenants are dead –" A lie, for now. Those four loyalists were currently on the run, and the hunting squads he sent were close on their tail. "The ones that aren't are also mine, and what else…oh!" Reverb snapped his fingers. "You're no longer the fastest man alive. That title now belongs to the scrawny kid you're so afraid of." Zoom's eyes narrowed at the slight. "Ooh, did that touch a nerve? Must mean I'm right then. I guess there's a reason why you've been throwing your _former_ lackeys at him. For months, I might add. Our fight with you lasted ten minutes."

"If I wanted to kill the Flash," Zoom said in a soft, dangerous tone, "Rest assured, his death will come quicker than what I've in mind for you."

"I am absolutely quaking in my boots," he drawled. "You know, you should be more grateful. Most of your underlings wanted to kill you. I convinced them otherwise."

A contemptuous bark of laughter came from the man. "Mercy doesn't suit you. Tell me what you _really_ want."

"All of us have suffered under your employ. We want…hmm, what's that saying? An eye for an eye."

"You're as foolish as your brother. There's nothing you can use against me." His voice dripped with smugness. "Do your worst, Reverb. It will never satisfy your vengeance. I can promise you that."

"You know, I thought the same thing too." Reverb leisurely circled around the speedster, his hands clasped behind his back. "Would you call yourself a sociopath or psychopath? I'm no psychiatrist, but the latter really fits you to a T. It certainly put a dent in my plans. What can you do to a person who doesn't give a damn about anything?" He stopped in front of Zoom. "It turns out, we both underestimated each other. You're a mix of both, and _I_ –" He pressed his index finger against the man's temple. A pulse of energy was all it took to clear the mental block. Reverb smiled, watching Zoom's eyes widen as the memories of his time remnant trickled in. "– Was stronger than you ever imagined. Brother?"

The chains clinked noisily as Rupture led Caitlin past the metas. She froze at the cell's entryway, her breath catching in her throat when her eyes fell on the speedster. Rupture impatiently shoved her in. She stumbled, nearly tripping on the chains. The close mishap made Zoom instinctively start forward. A short, controlled vibrational burst from Reverb's finger – which was still on Zoom's temple – forced him back. He didn't make a single sound at what was the equivalent of a screwdriver to the head. His eyes were riveted on the pale woman. The mouth-slits stretched and shortened as if he were speaking, but not a single word or breath left it. He only snapped out of his shock when Reverb backed up to the two and laid a hand on Caitlin's shoulder.

A strangled noise escaped from Zoom's throat. He sounded like he had been punched in the gut. " _No_ ," he choked out.

"Not so confident now, are we?" Caitlin hissed when he roughly grabbed her hair to hold her head still. He wouldn't put it past her to try and bite his fingers off for this stunt. Reverb made a show of stroking her cheek in a parody of an affectionate gesture. "Such a pretty thing. I think I'll keep her."

He'd barely finished his taunt when a feral noise overwhelmed his voice.

" ** _Keep your filthy hands off her!_** " Zoom roared, straining against the grip of the metas. Whatever weakness the prolonged torture had inflicted upon him seemed to be washed away by the force of his fury. He managed to move by a foot before Girder wrenched him back, nearly dislocating his shoulder. Zoom snarled and writhed like a rabid animal, spittle flying from his mouth-slits. To see the normally collected speedster be unraveled by a simple, intimate gesture – it was all very amusing. If he were a lesser man, Reverb would have gone further than that to provoke his former employer. But he was a criminal with standards, not a degenerate excuse of a human. The latter label was reserved for Zoom.

"I can see why you're so…fascinated with her. Did _Garrick_ know about your obsession?" Reverb asked casually, examining his nails. Caitlin stilled. "He probably didn't. I imagine he wouldn't react well if he found out his _enemy_ had been stalking the love of his life all this time."

Reading Zoom's expression was virtually impossible when his entire face was covered and his eyes were perpetually cold. So it was the subtle cues Reverb paid attention to. The way he faltered briefly, how his claws unfurled, and the minute tightening of the skin around his eyes. The tiny spots of light in those obsidian orbs flickered as he thoroughly scanned Caitlin's form, before freezing on the imprint of the band behind her sweater's collar.

"What game do you think you're playing, boy?" Zoom rasped, his voice shaking slightly.

"What does it matter? You're no longer in it." He took out the master remote, switched the connection to Caitlin's collar, and tossed it carelessly in his hand. _Clack. Clack. Clack._ Zoom stiffened, his breaths drawing to a stop as he watched the device repeatedly flip through the air. "A consequence of your carelessness. Now both you and this poor girl are paying for it." Reverb deftly caught the remote between his index and middle finger. The dead switch was less than a centimeter from them. He angled it toward the speedster, giving the man a good view of it. "It's funny, really. She doesn't even know who you are. But collateral damage doesn't matter, as long as you get what you want, right? A shame you didn't account for her in your plans."

Silence. Zoom worked his jaw as his attention alternated between Caitlin and the remote, back and forth like a pendulum. Was he debating on cutting the woman completely from his heart to deny Reverb leverage, or would he give in to his affection for her? Though the second path was preferable, either way would end with Zoom's loss. Reverb fancied he could hear the speedster grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Gloat while you still can." Zoom's answer was eerily devoid of inflection. Animosity rolled off of him in waves, but there wasn't a single ounce of hatred in his statement. The dichotomy was jarring. "I'm interested in seeing how far your empire will go."

"Why? Think I'll fail?"

"You are no god. Someday, you will bleed – and not even your farsight can save you."

Reverb made an amused noise. "From where I'm standing, it's certainly not by your hand."

The speedster's dark eyes slid back to Caitlin. "Not today, it won't be," he said quietly.

Ah. So the monster chose _love_. How sentimental. Reverb had no doubt his replies would have been more acerbic and mocking if Caitlin wasn't in danger of dying at a mere push of a button.

"Then we're on the same page. Excellent." He gestured for the metas to release the man. They quickly retreated, wary of Zoom's reaction, but there was nothing to fear. Aside from flexing his claws and straightening to his full height, the speedster did not move from his spot. "Behave, and I'll let you keep your pet. Get any ideas, and you'll regret it dearly." Caitlin cried out in pain as the collar shocked her. The jolt severed her control over her muscles, sending her crumpling to the floor. Only Rupture's hold on her arm kept her head from impacting the ground.

Zoom was practically shaking at this point now. It was obvious he wanted nothing more than to take her from them, but the unspoken command in the other man's words forced him to remain in his place. Reverb smiled.

"That's the lowest setting, by the way. I'd be happy to give you a demonstration of the other levels."

"You've proven your point," he seethed, his muscles coiling with tension. " _Give her to me now_."

"Was that an order, or a request?" Reverb asked in a bored tone, running his fingers down the remote.

A beat of silence. Zoom lowered his head. "Please." The word came out through clenched teeth.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" The speedster's hands tightened into fists at the condescending question. "I'd love to stay longer and chit-chat, but there's some unfinished business on Earth-1. I'll give Allen your regards."

At Reverb's nod, Rupture abruptly released Caitlin. She managed to plant her hands on the floor before her face crashed into it. The effects of the electric shock were still lingering. She tried to push herself up, but the rest of her muscles refused to budge. After a moment of struggling, Caitlin stopped, breathing heavily as she let the spasm run its course. In her prostrate position, it almost looked as if she were groveling before Zoom.

But her fierce words instantly shattered this illusion of docility.

"Your throne is made of glass."

Zoom inhaled sharply, stepping forward. He halted when Reverb raised a warning hand.

"Care to repeat that again?" Reverb asked her. Although his tone was light, the tension in the room heightened. His genial manner was a transparent disguise for what would most certainly result in vindictive retaliation. "It's hard to tell whether you're saying that to me or him."

"Caitlin." All eyes snapped to the speedster. It was first time he addressed her directly. There was a beseeching note in his voice, something that hadn't been present when he grudgingly pleaded for Reverb's leniency. His eyes were wide, almost to an inhuman degree. " _Don't._ "

She silently regarded the speedster, an inscrutable look on her face. For a moment, Reverb thought she was going to listen to Zoom. But then she turned back to him, and her expression hardened. Her focus didn't waver, even when Reverb started twirling the remote around his fingers.

"Your throne is made of glass," she said unflinchingly. "Madmen don't inspire loyalty. Zoom is proof of that. The Flash isn't the only person you have to worry about."

It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Zoom looked like he was prepared to wrestle the remote from Reverb's hands. The onlookers leaned forward, anticipating a memorable spectacle. Killer Frost watched her doppelganger through narrowed eyes. Deathstorm seemed largely unconcerned that the stranger who looked exactly like his wife was seconds away from being tortured, or worse, killed outright. And smack dab in the middle of it all was Caitlin Snow – the one human in this entire lair without a single iota of meta aptitude. A squishy, defenseless civilian kneeling before criminals and murderers. Yet her glare was almost blistering in its conviction and anger, and it carried the same impactful weight as it would have had if she'd been standing. He was reminded of a trapped lioness snarling at her captors, true to her nature to the very end. The comparison made the corners of Reverb's mouth twitch upwards.

The woman's moxie was both equal parts striking and vexing. In other circumstances, he'd punish her for the impudence, but he did want to keep her _relatively_ intact. The modified collar was designed for a meta's durable structure – the low-level shock she experienced would have only disabled them for a minute. Caitlin was still struggling to regain control of her faculties. Another one so soon would be detrimental to her, unfortunately. And he was looking forward to seeing Zoom's interaction with her…

He'd give her a free pass, for now. That left the matter of his subordinates – showing mercy would lessen their image of him. But he knew how to handle this. Words were just as strong as actions.

"Heh. Fortunately for you, I won't take offense to that. It's impossible to blindside me. Any revolt will be put down before it can ever begin." He glanced at the metas. Appropriate amounts of fear and submission, check. They understood their positions very well. Reverb reached down and patted Caitlin's head in a patronizing manner. "Save your rebellious streak for Zoom. You're going to need it."

Her fingers dug into the grimy floor at the false pity and insinuation. Though her veneer didn't slip and she unblinkingly held his gaze, the gesture revealed what her face did not.

Without breaking eye contact from her, he fished for the keys in his pocket and tossed it to Zoom. The man quickly snatched it out of the air.

"My condolences for your loss," Reverb said softly, watching her closely. "But Zoom isn't a far off replacement for Garrick, hm?"

He was gratified by her shudder of revulsion.

Laughing, Reverb stepped out, his brother following closely beside him. He passed his hand over the control panel to close the cell. Hidden mechanisms groaned as a transparent wall slid down. As soon as it touched the ground, Zoom immediately came over to the woman and fell to his knees without any hesitation, despite his audience. She trembled as he unlocked the shackles around her wrists.

Reverb pressed another button, triggering the generator Rupture had installed earlier. An electric hum filled the air as the force field activated, casting a shimmering barrier outside the wall. He scanned the cell once more, and satisfied that every security measure was in place, he left several metas behind for guard duty and took his leave with the others.

Some time later, after the rest were sent off to fulfill certain tasks before the invasion, the two brothers settled in Zoom's workshop. Rupture was making modified remotes for the guards, while Reverb idly flipped through Zoom's schematics for a speed-force extraction device. There were a dozen of them, accompanied with coded notes. Though he could not break the cipher, he had a feeling the contents concerned the real Jay Garrick and the prototypes' results. The writing had progressively grown 'angrier' – the neat characters became rougher, and there were multiple places where Zoom had wrote so forcefully it tore holes into the paper. The last blueprint's notes were mostly illegible. Ink splotches covered the words – Zoom probably broke the pen out of frustration. There was also a partial hand-print the color of carmine. Dried blood. Definitely not his – Reverb was certain it was Jay's. He almost pitied the Earth-3 breacher.

Stealing someone's abilities shouldn't be a gory ordeal, hypothetically. It was just the energy he needed, after all. But a desperate, angry Zoom was worse than one on a murderous rampage. The latter scenario was preferable because Zoom didn't care enough about his victims to make it personal, so they were usually given quick executions. But to have a cure within his reach and no possible way to extract it…obviously he took out his rage on Jay after that final failure. And an unhindered Zoom's wrath was something you never wanted to be on the receiving end of, _especially_ when you had self-healing capabilities and he couldn't afford to kill you.

Reverb raised his eyes, examining the two prisoners he acquired after Zoom's defeat. Jesse restlessly paced in her cell, speaking inaudibly to herself. The real Jay Garrick was still as a corpse. He had been livelier before, knocking incessantly and banging his head against the carbyne wall in despair. The noise finally stopped when Rupture had threatened to cut his hands off with his scythe.

On the surface, these two held no relation to his plans, but Reverb saw value in them. Discarding potential assets was absolutely wasteful. They would be put to good use. Jesse's prior role would continue under his custody, and _Jay_ …Reverb could think of several scientists-turned-metas who would be particularly interested in him.

Rupture's derisive snort brought him out of his contemplation. His brother was crouching beside Zoom's desk, holding several photographs in his hand. Miscellaneous items, documents, and pictures were strewn across the floor. Reverb's curiosity peaked when he realized he hadn't seen these earlier during his perusal of the speedster's belongings. He got to his feet, striding over to Rupture's side. A glossy paper strip was given to him – the kind that was taken at photo booths.

" _Found it under his desk in a hidden compartment_ ," Rupture explained in Spanish as he examined it. The group pictures featured the couple, his doppelganger, Iris, and Barry. Even with his visions, it was still strange to see Zoom in such a civilian situation. He had a long-suffering look in most of the pictures, half-heartedly doing the hand signs and holding the props. The last image however, was what caught Reverb's attention. Caitlin was kissing him on the cheek, her hand splayed against his jaw. "Jay" was leaning down to meet her height, his hand resting on her back. The soft, contented expression on his face couldn't be anything but genuine. " _Half of the stuff in there are mementos. I'd call it sweet, if I didn't know who he was. It's…_ "

" _Disturbing?_ " He chuckled when Rupture made an affirmative grunt. " _I didn't know you had a weak constitution. Aren't we technically cut from the same cloth as Zoom?_ "

" _Very funny. I like to think we're a little less crude than him._ " Rupture shook his head. " _He really does love her though. I never thought I'd see the day…Zoom on his knees willingly, and for someone else's sake no less. We had to_ break _his legs to make him bow down to you._ "

" _Love makes fools of us all. He knows this well – he's been using it against us for the longest time. And now he's fallen on his own sword_."

Visions of the dark-clothed speedster from a different Earth flickered through his mind. One who was more deranged and merciless. Today's events would have gone differently if he'd been dealing with that version. But _this_ Zoom…he was 'softer,' if it could even be called that. The symptoms of his illness were also more debilitating. It was the only reason they successfully ambushed him with minimal fatalities.

" _A poetic loss._ "

" _Not quite_." Reverb glanced at the monitor. Multiple camera feeds were being streamed on the screen. It didn't take long for him to find the one with access to their cell. He smirked at what he saw. " _I'd rather kill her in front of him, but that can wait. Have to take care of Earth-1's Flash first_."

" _You mean you rather let him suffer his sickness first_ ," Rupture corrected him. " _And_ then _you're killing her in front of him, after you tell her the truth._ "

" _Heh. You know me well, brother._ "

...

* * *

 **Super Long A/N (sorry, not sorry 8D *gets shot*)  
**

Answering some questions y'all might have here. Future chapters will make everything clearer if you're still confused. Can't write down the whole plot here haha.

 **1\. Reverb's powers, Meta-gene, inhibitor collars:**

Canon!Reverb is nearly omnipotent (or should be, as the power section in the Arrowverse wikia says), and comic!verse Vibe is really powerful (he can disable a speedster's connection to speed-force, among other cool things). So borrowing from the comics, this should make AU!Reverb on equal footing with Zoom, or even higher. AU!Zoom's sickness is also more serious, which gives AU!Reverb the chance to rebel.

I'm also applying meta-genes (comic!verse and Young Justice) as a factor for metahumans. Only certain people have the recessive meta-gene, which activates when the individual goes through catastrophic physical trauma and gives them their powers. So in this AU the particle accelerator explosion expelling dark matter and etc was the catalyst, and whatever (traumatic) situation the individuals were in had a connection to their powers. It kind of makes sense if you apply this to the show, since Barry got his powers from getting hit by lightning, Girder fell into a molten steel vat, Mardon brothers flew into a storm and their plane got hit by lightning, and Plastique had shrapnel in her body and was undergoing surgery. But there are special cases like Cisco.

As for inhibitor collars (Young Justice!), these were specifically customized to 'deactivate' a meta's powers. How they managed to design these without studying the subjects beforehand is beyond me, so I'm just going to go with the simple explanation of the collar blocking the meta-gene, the source of their powers. Fake science yay! And my reasoning for why Harry didn't use this in the Barry vs Zoom fight was because you have to slow down Zoom first before you can put it on. Hence, darts. Or in Reverb's case, a speed-force disabling blast.

 **2\. Caitlin and Hunter/** **Zoom's behavior:**

 _Caitlin's reaction to Zoom and Reverb?_ She always seemed to be the more practical one to me _–_ and also, Barry + Team have killed at least two Earth-2 villains (and Barry even reasons in the first episode that it was necessary to put an end to Atom Smasher's rampage through this way). Her saying that it's better to kill Zoom in this case is understandable in that light _–_ since Zoom is infinitely worse than Atom Smasher. Also, Caitlin kept a level head under Zoom's custody and has been shown to suppress her emotions in order to handle a difficult situation _–_ so I think the way she kept calm around Reverb was in line.

 _Hunter/Zoom had no qualms about slapping handcuffs on Caitlin in the show, so why would he unlock them here?_ If something bad is going to happen, he wants to give her a good chance to defend herself. Also, this is an entirely different situation and they're both prisoners, so his actions are going to be different.

 _Zoom doesn't seem like the type of person to let someone use a weakness against him – he'd let Caitlin die?_ He abducted Caitlin because he wanted her with him, he spared Barry + Team two or three times because of Caitlin (and for plot reasons too but shhhh), his PTSD flashbacks are triggered by Caitlin, and he let Caitlin go back to the team (with the price being her death should they meet again, but he didn't actively seek her and he let her return without any traps). Honestly, if it weren't for his bond to her, he'd be your generic evil muahaha villain (which he ends up being at the finale, but at that point, Caitlin is no longer his bond). So basically, Caitlin causes him to act 'OOC.' Like Reverb said – love makes fools of us all. Granted, the love he has for Caitlin is twisted, but it's still his version of love.

Also, Hunter has stereotypical/classic sociopathic and psychopathic traits – he's not entirely one or the other, which is typical of villains like him in media. Just throwing this out there for people who'll say a mix of both isn't possible in real life. Which is true, but Hunter's a villainous caricature and media doesn't tend to be accurate on these matters.

 **3\. Restrooms/Showers?!**

I don't know about you, but I always wondered how the metas did their business in Season 1. Were they each escorted to the facilities whenever they needed to go? So inconvenient. Also, they don't have an inhibitor collar in the show, so I don't know how they can be transported there without a fight lol. For my sanity, Zoom's formerly secret prison cells are each equipped with toilet/shower, albeit rudimentary ones. He doesn't seem like the type of guy to care about the comforts of his prisoners, but if it means avoiding the mess of basic human functions... :-p

...

Reviews are love! You have no idea how much they mean to me. I always doubted my ability to write, so any constructive criticism, or even just a simple comment makes me happy and motivates me. This fic is also posted on Archive Of Our Own under the user Floating_Red_Lotus.

Next Chapter – Caitlin's POV. Less exposition. She may look calm on the outside, but inside is a whole different story. Flashback to the first and probably last "SnowJay" moment in this fic. Zoom trying to do damage control – sort of.


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